A Pirate's Heart
by Buckhunter
Summary: "He'd felt it coming for a long time; the end. He could feel it more clearly now than ever. But he was ready. He'd run from it for all his life- Death. But he could feel an eternity of it pulling at the edges of his existence. 'I name Charles Sparrow as the new Pirate Lord of the Caribbean an' as the new Keeper of the Code.'" Jack's death according to my one-shot, Years By And By.


**Summary: "He'd felt it coming for a long time; the end. He could feel it more clearly now that ever. But he was ready. He'd run from it for all his life- Death. But he could feel an eternity of it pulling at the edges of his existence. 'I name Charles Sparrow as the new Pirate Lord of the Caribbean an' as the new Keeper of the Code.'" Jack's death according to my one-shot,**_**"Years By And By"**_**.**

**A Pirate's Heart**

The cry of a young man in his late teens rang out. It was a cry of pain, for he was helping to defend a family against an invasion from the Royal Navy. This lad, the quartermaster of no ship other than the _Black Pearl_, was the sole child of the infamous Jack Sparrow himself.

The young man- one Charles Sparrow- had his father's looks, but his personality was a mix of both of his parents. He had his father's wits, but he had his mother's kindness. It was this boy who was stabbed in the battle.

It was his father who shouted his name in dread.

It was also his father who jumped in front of an officer mounted on a horse to protect him. The horseman had a sharpened lance. The bright white stallion was huge.

"JACK!" Several voices screamed in horror.

The pirate captain put all of his strength into holding the horse back, despite the fact that the horseman's lance was going directly through his lower neck. A gurgling growl sounded in his throat as he thrust his drawn sword into the horse's side unrelentlessly. He managed to cut the Navy officer too.

It took a few strikes for the horse to rear up- throwing off its rider- and swing mighty hooves at Jack. One slammed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Another caught his chin as he fell, a sickening crack echoing as his jaw broke. He cried out, falling hard onto his back, though his elbows took the impact.

The stallion joined him on the ground, whining in pain. The horseman himself had been knocked out cold by hitting his head on the ground.

"Jack!" His first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, was at his side in an instant.

"'M alright." He slurred hoarsely, throat and jaw both protesting, retrieving his sword and getting back to his feet. His eyes widened as he realized how close the horse had been to trampling his son. He had a lot of difficulty forcing his jaw to move as he ordered,"We need to fall back to the _Pearl_."

"But, Cap'n-"

"This isn't a winnin' fight, mate. The sooner we get to the ship, the better. Savvy?"

"Aye, sir." The elder man turned back to relay his orders to both Charles and the Turners, who now composed of five people; old Bootstrap Bill, Will, Elizabeth, Henry, and Carina.

Jack snapped his jaw shut painfully, preparing himself. He'd felt it coming for a long time; the end. He could feel it more clearly now that ever. But he was ready. He'd run from it for all his life- Death. He'd been claimed by it once, for only a short while. But he could feel an eternity of it pulling at the edges of his existence. This time, he'd go at Death's call willingly. After a lifetime of fighting, of suffering the harshness of life, he was ready for a long rest.

And this was the final confrontation.

A gunshot rang out and he felt the shot pierce his skin. He grunted, drawing his own pistol and firing back. His target took the shot full force to the face and collapsed. He ducked behind a tree to reload, his gaze meeting Gibbs's own. He gave him a brief nod, answering the unspoken question.

"Go. I...I'll hold 'em back." He drew his sword again, having a weapon in each hand. A fresh wave of soldiers emerged into the clearing. "Now!"

Charles, who hadn't heard the part about his father holding the Navy men back spoke up. "You're comin' with us, right?"

It hurt Jack a lot to lie to his own son like this. "I'll be right behind ye."

The quartermaster gave a firm nod, gesturing to the Turners that it was time to go. The captain's gaze met with Bootstrap's for a moment. Horror welled up in the older man's eyes as he realized what his friend was doing. But all he did was give a respectful nod in acceptance.

Once the Turners and his own son had vanished from sight, he jerked his head to Gibbs.

"So this is it, Jack?" His always loyal first mate asked. "The end o' your horizon?"

Jack nodded. "Listen to me, mate. Jus' for a moment."

"I'm listenin'."

"Ye look out for Charles. When tha' boy needs someone by his side, I want _ye _to be there. Like ye were for me. Ye hear?"

"Jack, I'd die before I refused to help him." Gibbs promised.

The pirate captain gave a faint smirk. He pulled something from his person and handed it to his first mate. "I name Charles Sparrow as the new Pirate Lord of the Caribbean an' as the new Keeper of the Code. May the Brethren Court accept him among them."

"Ye want him to be cap'n, sir?"

"Ah, that's up to ye, mate. Either ye or him."

"The wheel of that ship is reserved for your blood only." The older man's eyes welled for a moment, knowing that the man he'd helped Captain Teague raise was sacrificing himself for his own son. "Wind at your back forever, Cap'n."

"An' at yours, Master Gibbs." He nodded the dismissal of the other man. "No one could've asked for a more loyal first mate than ye."

"Thank ye, sir."

Gibbs vanished after the others, heading off to escort them off the island.

Jack jumped back out into the clearing, firing his pistol into the skull of one of the first Navy men. He slashed across the torso of several others, turning to follow after his first mate. He reloaded his pistol as he jogged, turning around to finish fighting off the men as soon as the _Pearl _was in sight, everyone else aboard.

"FATHER!" Charles bellowed, pleading for him to come aboard.

"Unfurl the sails! Weigh anchor!" He shouted back. "Get out o' 'ere!"

A sword pierced the pirate captain's ribcage and he cried out. He slashed his own across the neck of the attacker.

"Not without you!" The quartermaster argued.

"That's an _order_!" Jack snarled in pain as a musket shot pierced his chest. He collapsed, grabbing the musket of a dead man and using it to struggle to his feet. He slammed the butt of the weapon into a man's face. "Leave this island!"

"Charles!" Someone aboard the ship ordered. "Come back!"

The pirate captain was dimly aware of someone beside him, helping him fight off this wave of men. They overpowered the Navy easily, dispatching each man. He turned to see who'd helped him, finding no other than his son.

"Ye need to go, Charles." He told him.

The young man shook his head. "I won't. I can't. Not without you."

"Ye have to."

"No!"

Jack pulled his son into a final embrace. "I love ye, boy. Don't ever forget it."

"I won't, Father." Charles promised. "I love you too."

The pirate captain pulled back and studied the face of the young man, taking in his features for the last time. A fond smile curled up his lips and he patted his son's shoulder. Then he tapped his chest. "Search me out whenever ye need me, eh? That's one place I'll never leave."

The quartermaster nodded.

"Ye'd better go, Captain Sparrow." Jack advised, calling his son by his new title. "Your ship's leavin' without ye."

Charles saluted him, the way one captain would to another; or to the Pirate King or the Keeper of the Code. Then he nodded, stepping back and slowly turning. He broke into a jog, boarding the dark ship.

The _Pearl_'s former captain grinned at the sight of his son taking the wheel. Then the moment was over- he heard the shouts of Navy soldiers behind him. He snapped his broken jaw shut, feeling his teeth meet as he did. He whipped around to face his attackers, sword drawn bravely.

_It's gone on_

_For too long_

_And this is it_

Jack Sparrow didn't go down with a fight. He took several men down with him, enduring a few more musket shots too. When he did give in to death, it was when the _Black Pearl _was well away from the island; when his son was well away.

Maybe he was a pirate.

But pirates had hearts too.


End file.
